INTO every life a little self indulgence must fall and so it was that I decided to give myself a 50th birthday party. I am good at parties; it is real life I have problems with and I have to say it was not only a splendid do but also one of the most
effortless I have ever organised.
The venue was Lennoxlove, rightly described as "the most beautiful house in East Lothian". The Duke of Hamilton runs an efficient ship and his secretary Brenda Baird took all the effort out of organising things. If any of you want a brilliant venue flawlessly arranged you need look no further.
Leiths handled the catering and I couldn't have done it better myself. To be brutally honest I doubt I could have done it half as well. I am dubious of caterers but they couldn't be faulted, the food was wonderful. The fish buffet would have inspired several great painters, the lay out of desserts was fit for Paradise and you felt the staff really wanted to help. Still, it's rude to talk to people about parties they weren't at so I'll shut up, but I tell you the sight of me shaking it to 'Ra Ra Rasputin' is one that will stay with many people for life.
The grouse season is upon us again, for which I rejoice. I love the rich earthiness of the bird and always wait eagerly for the first of the year: the precursor of all the other good things to come, the succulence of partridges plump as bishops (though today's bishops wouldn't have inspired Browning) and the pure sensuality of a well hung pheasant.
George Bowyer, my wonderful game butcher in Stockbridge (he is to my autumns as my fishmonger is to my summers, which is why you have not heard me mention him before), who has the ear of every keeper in Scotland (and over the Border) tells me that grouse will be plentiful this year. They will be late because of the strange weather but because of the increase in the number of hares, the yield will be good.
I was not aware until I moved north of the symbiotic relationship between grouse and hares but apparently the hares keep the heather shoots at just the right level for the grouse chicks, something which is difficult for the estates to manage otherwise. This sounds a very pedestrian reason to my superstitious soul. The goddess of spring whose symbol was the hare is much more up my street. However, as I passionately love both grouse and hare I am delighted with the news.
One of my mother's strange habits was to eat grouse at the London Hilton when it first opened in the Sixties. She loved the Roof Top Restaurant and reckoned that while her friends were rushing off to the Savoy to eat their birds she got better ones with superior trimmings at the Hilton. They certainly did very well by her, but then she had that effect on people.
I had this strange habit during my drinking years; I would always order grouse but never could finish it (sometimes I was so drunk I could barely start it so I carried a large linen napkin in my handbag in which I would wrap the remains and take them home). Next morning, forgetting I had done this I would grab my handbag and rush out of the house. It was great fun trying to find change for the bus! This must show my fondness for the bird as I never troubled to do this with any other food. However enough of this.
Personally I don't think you can beat roast grouse nice and rare with game chips (not crisps as some people will do), lashings of breadsauce, deep fried breadcrumbs, nice clear gravy and perhaps a touch of watercress on the side - heavens, I'm making myself hungry - but grouse are expensive and some birds are too old to roast so to carry the grouse/hare relationship one stage further I also hope you'll like this pie. It is a good robust dish perfect after a day out on the hill.
GROUSE AND HARE PIE
1 grouse
1 pigeon
half a hare
1/2lb venison shoulder
1 lamb's kidney sliced
2oz sliced mushrooms
2oz bacon
quarter pound veal forcemeat
2 1/2fl oz port
salt and pepper
teaspoon of fresh thyme chopped
3/4 lb savoury shortcrust pastry Joint the birds, cut the meat from the hare and cut the venison into 1in cubes.
Take all the bones and trimmings, put them into water and boil for an hour to make stock.
Arrange all the game, the kidneys, thyme and mushrooms into a 3-4 pint pie dish. Place the bacon on top. Make balls from the veal forcemeat and add these. Pour over the port and a half to three quarters of a pint of stock. Cover with the pastry, glaze with a little beaten egg or milk and bake at 180C/350F/gas 4 for 2 1/2 hours. Serve with creamed potatoes and a green vegetable.
